Game



H. M. BECKER Feb. 16, 1932.

GAME

Filed March 12, 1930 I I I I 3 2 MM m H ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 1c, 1932 nia- I HENRY IVL BECKER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GAME

Application filed March 12, 1930. Serial No. 435,173.

This invention relates to a game of skill involving the propelling of a ball through a series of successive tortuous'channels with gaps between the same, and it consists in the novel features, which are hereinafter more fully described.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a perfected game of skill, tending to develop dexterity of the hand and the eye, combined with a healthy source of amusement.

1 Another object of my invention is to provide a suitable apparatus and paraphernalia for the carrying out of the said game of skill.

' A further object of my invention is to have said apparatus compact, simple, durable and relatively inexpensive. I

Another object of the invention is to provide means wherein a plurality of these devices are. used, side by side, in pairs or in groups of more than two, and so arrange the structure thereof as to introduce the element of competition in the speed and skill of the operator, whereby a number of players may start from the scratch and run the ball from the front to the rear of the apparatus, and at the end of the play the ball will fall into the return duct and at the sametime the ball will operate, in falling, a light or bell to indicate visually or audibly the fact that the ball has reached the terminal point.

In this sort/of competition, where a plurality of players are involved in separate games, the element of competition adds Zest to the game as well as an elementof chance, which will sometimes offset the skill of a skilled player.

In competition, where a plurality of such devices are used with terminal signal devices at the end of the play, the one who first mounts his ball to the terminal station and lights the light may be considered the winner.

I attain these objects by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings or by any mechanical equivalent or obvious modification of the same.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the perfected game and apparatus therefor;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail intop plan view of a part of the above apparatus, omitting the coils, which are hereinafter described; J I. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the part shown in Fig. 2, looking towards the rear of theapparatus;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the above game and apparatus on the line 4t of Fig. 2;

Fig. {5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the major part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 with the upper portion thereof removed; 1

i 6 is a. fragmentary vertical'sectional View on the line 66 of Fig. 5 p I y i Fig. 7 is a detail in elevation of the ball check gate employed at the entranoeaelid' of the rotary coils of the said apparatus,whi'ch are hereinafter described;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the said gate; Fig. 9 is'a diagrammatic illustrationof a lighting signal device to indicate the arrival of a ball at the terminal of the apparatus; and

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic illustration of a plurality of apparatuses employed in the game.

Like characters of reference denote like I parts throughout the several views: 7 80 1 1 designates a shaft, which is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 12, which are positioned at both ends of the stationary part of one of my perfected game apparatuses A; the shaft 11 is shown as having thereon. at the front end thereof a hand wheel 13, which may besecured'thereto in any suitable manner. r

A pairof spiders 14:, having each thereon four radially disposed arms, are mounted on said shaft 11 one spider near each end thereof, to be rotated therewith in planes, which are transverse to the apparatus, and the arms Of each spider are connected to the armsof the other spider by means of bars 15, which are posit'ion'e d lengthwise of said'apparatus A and are shown as substantially parallel to the inclined upper surface thereof.

Two sets of wire coils 16, 16a, 16b and 17, 17a, 17 b are shown as helically disposed with relation to said bars and each coil encompasses one or more of said bars 15.

The coils 16, 16a and 166 are disposed on substantially left handed helical center lines, and the coils 17, 17a and 176 are disposed on substantially right handed helical center lines.

The front end of the coil 16 has thereon a ball check gate 18, which is shown in Figs. 7 and 8 as resiliently pivotally connected at 22 to a neck or sleeve 19, which is connected to a frame 20, which may be secured to the wires of said coil 16 by soldering or in any other suitable manner.

The frame has thereon a check part 21, extending outwardly of said gate 18, to pre- .vent outward opening of the latter; and the said pivotal connection at 22 includes a pivot pin and a torsional spring 23, whichis connected atone end thereof to said frame and at the other end thereof to said gate 18, and is disposed to keep-said gate 18 normally closed and to resist opening of the same, whereby a manual effort is required to introduce a ball 24 into the said'front end of said coil 16.

By means of said hand wheel 13 the shaft 11 with the coil 16 thereon is rotated first in a right handed direction as viewed from the front end of the apparatus and later reversed,

whereby a ball 24, introduced into the front end of the coil 16, is propelled by said coil, the force of gravity and the momentum of the ball rearwardly until said ball 24 is discharged from or drops out of the rear end of said coil 16, which is provided with a discharge nozzle thereon; similar discharge nozzles 25 are provided at the rear ends of all the other coils 16a, 16b, 17, 17a and 17b and a mouth piece 26 is provided at the front end of each of the coils 17, 16a, 17a, 16b and 17b, successively to receive and discharge said ball 24 as the hand wheel 13 with said shaft 11.are alternately rotated in left handed and right handed directions.

The coils 16, 16a and 16?) are rotated in a right handed direction when a ball 24 is being propelled therethroughand the coils 17, 17a and 171) are rotated in a left handed direction to propel a ball 24 therethrough.

I By promptly reversing the direction of rotation of the hand wheel 13 with said shaft 11, the spiders 14, bars 15 and the said coils mounted thereon, when the ball 24 is discharged from a nozzle 25 at the rear end of one ofsaid coils, it may be intercepted by a mouth piece 26 at the front end of an oppositely positioned and successively located coil, as for example, a ball 24, discharged from the nozzle 25 at the rear end of the coil 16 may be intercepted by the mouth piece 26 of the coil 17, and when discharged from the rear end of the latter, the ball 24 may be intercepted by the front end of the coil'16a, then by the coil 17a, then by the coil 1% hen a ball 24 is missed or not intercepted by all successive coils, it will find its way through a hopper 33 and duct 34 to one of the other glass covered chambers 28, 29, 30, 31

Each of the above chambers receives a ball dropped from a different coil, and said chambers have indicia thereover, such as 100, 75, etc, to indicate the credits given the par ticipants in the game for propelling the ball through a corresponding number of coils Without missing an entrance into the said coils. The highest credit such as 100 is given for successfully propelling a ball through all of coils of the apparatus A to said terminal chamber 27; the lowest credit or 0 given for failure to intercept the ball after it is discharged from said first coil 16, whereupon it finds its way into said chamber 32.

From the said chambers 27 to 32 the balls .24 are discharged into a magazine 35 and therefrom through an opening 37, which is controlled by a gate 38, into an outer pocket 36, from which it may be removed by hand.

Said magazine 35 and gate 38 are positioned interiorly of said apparatus A, and said gate is controlled by an outwardly extending hand lever 39, which may also be in part controlled by a coin and slot mechanism, as at 40.

An illuminating signal lamp 41 is controlled by an automatic device actuated by the passing of a ball24 through the apparatus into the said terminal chamber 27, whereby said lamp 41 is illuminated when a ball reaches said chamber, thereby visibly demonstrating the successful result attained with any one of a number of similar apparatuses as A and B, employed by rival participants in the game, as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in Fig. 10.

Said automatic device consists of a pivotally mounted platform 42, disposed in said hopper 33a at the entrance to said duct 34a, which is located near the said terminal chamber 27, whereby, when aball 24 is passed through said hopper 33c, said platform 42 is deflected by the ball 24; a rearwardly extending arm 43 on said platform 42 passes through an opening 44 in said hopper and contacts with a switch 45, thereby closing a circuit 46 of said lamp 41. 7

Many changes may be made in the details of my game apparatus without departing from the main scope of my invention, and parts of my invention may be used without other parts.

I do not, therefore, restrict myself to the details as shown in the drawings, but I intend to include also all mechanical equiva- I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a game apparatus a series of rotatably mounted cally disposed coils, another series of rotatably mounted and left-handedly helically disposed coils, positioned opposite to said first series, each of said coils to propel a ball therethrough by the rotation of said coil in a suitable direction, and a means for rotata-bly supporting said coils, the discharge end of a coil of one series being positioned opposite the entrance end of a coil of the opposite series, with a gap ther-ebetween, whereby, when a ball emerges from one of said coils, of one series, it may be intercepted by an opposite coil of the other series.

2. In a device of the vclas'sjdesoribed the elements of claim 1, combined with a means ed from the entrance end of said coil when,

the latter is rotated in'a reverse direction.

4. In a device of the class described the ele ments of claim 1, combined with a means for facilitating the interception of a ball emerging from the discharge end of one of said coils by the entrance end of another of said coils.

5. In a device of the class described the'elements of claim 1, combined with a discharge nozzle at the discharge end of one or more of said coils and a flaring mouth piece at the entrance end of one or more of said coils, thereby facilitating the interception of a ball emerging from the discharge end of one of said coils by the entrance end of another of said coils. v

6. The elements of claim 1, combined with a means for receiving therein a ball finally leaving said coils and a means for indicating to participants in the game the relative length of route through which said ball has been propelled through said coils.

7. The elements of claim 1, combinedwith a terminal chamber for receiving therein a ball, completing its route through all of said coils and suitable other chambers for receiving therein balls, which leave said coils but fail to complete said route, ducts for directing said balls to said chambers and credit indicia on said chambers for indicating. to participants in the ame the relative length of the route through which a ball has been propelled through said coils.

8. in a game apparatus a. series of rotatably mounted and right-handedly helically disand right-handedly heli-' posed coils, another series of rotatably mounted-and left-handedly helically disposed coils positioned opposite to said first series, each of said coils to propel a 'ball'therethrough by the rotation of said coil in a suitable direction, and a means for rotatably supporting said coils, the discharge end of a coil of one series being positioned opposite the entrance of a coil of the opposite series with a gap therebetween whereby, when a ball emerges from one of said coils of one series,'it may-be intercepted by an oppositecoil of the other series, the first coil of one of said series having thereon a ball check gate to prevent balls from being accidentally ejected from the entrance end of said coilwhen the latter is rotated in a reverse dlrection, theentrance end of said coil having a gate frame secured thereto'and said gate beingresiliently pivotally connected to saidframe for normally keeping said gatevclosed and to resiliently oppose the introduction of a ball into said coil at said end thereof.

9. The elements of claim 8 ,"said connection'including a p-ivot pin and aitorsional spring connected at one 611dth6160ft0 said gate/and at the other end thereof to said frame, said spring being disposed to normally keep said gate closedand to= o'pposethe introduction of a. ball 'into'said coil,

10.; In a game apparatus a series of rotat-- ably mounted and right-handedly helically disposed coils, anotherseriesof rotatably mounted and left-handedlyhelically disposed coils positioned opposite tosaid first series, each of said coils to propel a ball therethrough by the rotation of said coilin a suitable direction, means for rotatably supporting said coils, the discharge end of a coil of one series being positioned opposite the entrance end of a coil of the opposite series with a gap therebetween whereby, when a ball emerges from one of said coils of one series, it may be intercepted by an opposite coil of the other series, a terminal chamber for receiving therein a ball, completing its route through all of said coils, and suitable other chambers for receiving therein balls which leave said coils but failto complete said route,

ducts for directing said balls to said chambers and credit indicia on'said chambers for indicating to participants in the game the relative strength of the route through which a ball has been propelled through said coils, a signal lamp and an automatic means for illuminating said lamp when a ball reaches said terminal chamber thereby indicating the winning of the game.

11. In a game apparatus a series of rotatably mounted and right-handedly helic-ally disposed coils, another series of rotatably mounted and left-handedly helically disposed coils positioned opposite to said first series, each of said coils to propel a ball therethrough by the rotation of said coil in a suitable direction, means for rotatably supporting said coils, the discharge end of a coilof one'series being positioned opposite the en trance end of a coil of the opposite series with a gap therebetween whereby, when a ball emerges from one of said coils of one series,

it may be intercepted by an opposite coil of the other series, a terminal chamber for receiving therein a ball completing its route through all of said coils and suitable other chambers for receiving therein balls which leave said coils but fail to complete said route, ducts for directing said balls to said chambers and credit indicia on said chambers for indicating to participants in the game the relative length of theroute through which a ball has been propelled through said coils, a magazine for ballsrsituated interiorly of said apparatus for receiving therein the balls from said chambers, a pocket disposed with a side thereon accessible from the exterior of the apparatus, and a means for passing a limited number of balls at a time from said magazine a to said pocket. Y

; 12. The elements of claim 10,'said means including a member pivotally mounted in the path of said ball on its way to said terminal chamber to be deflected by said ball, an electric circuit for said lamp, a switch 011 said circuit and a part on said member to contact with said switch when said member is defiected by said ball thereby closing said circuit and thereby illuminating said lamp.

Signed at New York, in the county and State of New York, this 28th day of February,

A. D. 1930. v

' HENRY M. BECKER. 

